Fans scramble for dinner with the stars as Lincoln fever rages

IT'S the hottest ticket in town -- the chance to dine with Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg after the European premiere of the movie Lincoln in Dublin tomorrow night.

And so it should come as no surprise that the organisers behind the charity event have been inundated with hundreds of requests for tickets.

A waiting list is now operating -- but there are already more than 700 people on it.

Some 900 lucky guests will attend the premiere of multi-Oscar nominated movie, followed by a special gala dinner and auction in the Burlington Hotel on Sunday night. All proceeds raised will be going to Wicklow Hospice.

"We are turning people away and I have people begging me to get a place on the guest list," Emily Cox, of Cox Communications told the Herald.

Funds from the event and an auction of Lincoln memorabilia will be donated to the Wicklow Hospice Foundation by its patron, the film's leading man and Oscar nominee Day-Lewis. Irish stars including Bono, his wife Ali, the Edge, director Jim Sheridan and President Michael D Higgins, will be rubbing shoulders with the stars at the sold-out event, which is sponsored by The Gathering 2013.

Other Irish personalities who will walk the red carpet for the premiere include Ray Darcy, presenter Mairead Farrell, singer Chris De Burgh -- also a patron of the Wicklow Hospice Foundation -- and his daughter Rosanna Davison.

Newly engaged Rosanna will attend the event with her parents and fiance Wesley Quirke and the former Miss World is really looking forward it.

"Mum and dad are invited and I was also invited so I am really looking forward to it," Rosanna told the Herald.

Excited

"I am fan of Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis so I'm really excited about seeing the film as well.

"I have to go out and get something to wear tomorrow -- I heard it is black tie so it will be quite glamorous."

The charity is pulling out all the stops for the star-studded occasion and the special gala dinner is expected to run until well into the early hours.

Former Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan is lined up to perform at the dinner, while it is rumoured that Bono and the Edge may also serenade guests.

Ten double-deckers will be provided by Dublin Bus as guests make the journey from the Savoy cinema to the Burlington Hotel.

While it has been confirmed that Speilberg and the Lincoln stars will take their own transport to the Ballsbridge hotel for security reasons, many of he stars are expected to board the bus.